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Aruba!

March 29, 2018 · 45 Comments

Hello friends!

I’m finally FINALLY getting around to posting about our Aruban vacation! It was quite the task going through all these photos and I still have to edit some video I took, but I did want to post this since many of you are headed to Aruba for Spring Break!

We love love loved our time in Aruba and want to go back with our children in the near future. We loved how familiar it felt, how clean it was (mostly), how gorgeous the beaches were, how warm the water was, how good the food was, how we found European influences everywhere and how they accept American money across the island. It was easy to get to, easy to get around on and we felt safe the entire time.  We cannot say enough good about Aruba. Basically, you all were right! I had at least 100 of you telling me we HAD to experience this lovely island.

Winter and spring are the best times to go to travel to Aruba because the weather is moderate, so March for us was perfect. The average temperature when we were there was 83 degrees and windy. I was super annoyed by the wind because HAIR, but my husband pointed out that the heat was much more bearable and pleasant with that wind. So I tied my hair back and learned to count my blessings.

We were so relaxed the entire time and thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed focusing on each other. No work, no kids, just us. If you haven’t had a trip away from your kids with just your spouse in a while, GO! It doesn’t have to be to a tropical island; Staycations work, too! Taking yourself out of the everyday grind helps change your focus to your spouse and reminds you both why you like each other so much. I’d highly recommend it! Come to think of it, I’d highly recommend a lot of things about couples-only trips and about Aruba, so here’s a post all about it. Below are all the specific details. If I’ve forgotten something or you have a specific question about a certain topic or place, leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer it!

Here we go!

 

Where we stayed

When we travel, we usually have kids with us and try to select rooms and activities that are obviously family friendly. So, when the idea of just Gordon and I going away for a few days came up in conversation, we knew we wanted an adult-only resort or hotel. So we booked a hotel room at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino in Oranjestad. They have an adult-only hotel as well as a separate family-friendly hotel. We stayed at the adult-only hotel and were so surprised to walk into one of their largest suites! They had heard it was our anniversary and wanted to make our trip as memorable as possible. That was my goal with this trip too, so it was so nice to be received with open arms! As you can tell by the photos below, our hotel suite was larger than our apartment in the city!! We were spoiled with space, a gorgeous view and a very quiet room. Considering I am amongst kids and chaos most days, a quiet room is something I only dream about. They seriously delivered for us. We loved the downtown location, all the nearby shopping and restaurants, the proximity to the airport and how everything was easy to get to! While there is no beachfront property at the hotel, they own The Renaissance Private Island with boats that will take you there all day! Lots of these photos are from that as well. (More info about the island below!)

So, thank you to the overachievers at Renaissance Aruba Resort for truly making this a dream vacation for us. Find Renaissance Aruba on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

 

Those sweethearts at the Renaissance left us some goodies and a note congratulating us on 10 years of marriage!

Our lovely view!

 

What we did

We got a lot crossed off our ‘must see’ list! Below were our favorites!

So many of you recommended that we rent a Jeep and explore the island and that is exactly what we did! We were able to book one from Hertz in the lobby of the Renaissance. Super convenient for us and it turned out to be one of our favorite things we did! Because the island is so small, we were able to see the California Lighthouse, Alto Vista Chapel, the Bushiribana Ruins, the Natural Bridge, Baby Beach, Palm Beach, Eagle Beach and all the beautiful views along the way. It was a really relaxing, bumpy and enjoyable drive. I’d highly recommend it!

Snorkeling Boat Tour with Octopus Aruba–this was a big highlight for us and so so fun! We loved being able to enjoy the 3-hour morning sail, but also the two snorkeling stops! The weather was perfect and so was the water. The part where I accidentally flashed some fellow snorkelers was not my best moment, but whatever. My husband said they probably liked it (gross) so you’re welcome, swimmers. Also included in our tickets were a light breakfast and lunch with unlimited drinks. We want to go back and do this with our kids once they are a little older.

Parasailing with Delphi Water Sports–if you’re not afraid of heights and even if you are, both Gordon and I are here to tell you you MUST try this!! It was so so fun! We both love roller coasters, so this was a breeze compared to some of the ones I’ve been on. We went on a pretty windy afternoon and got jolted around a ton, but it just added to the thrill of it. We both were laughing the entire way up and the entire way down saying again and again how fun it was. The boat driver tried to scare us by slowing down and making our feet come about 6 inches away from the water before he floored it and launched us back into the air again, but we weren’t scared at all! It was just so funny and fun to experience. A little pricey for just 10 minutes of air time, but totally worth it! (And these were the people who said “it must be a good sign that everyone thinks you’re still on your honeymoon!” and we agree 100%)

It’s important to note that on nearly every beach, there are chair and umbrella rentals. If we were to stay at an Airbnb next time, we’d probably want to be close to Palm Beach (busy) or Eagle Beach (much quieter) because of the gorgeous white sand and the crystal clear water and all the convenient rentals. My kids love playing in the sand and the water. We really want to go back to Aruba as a family.

Good tip: if you’re not staying at Palm Beach but want to visit, you can leave your car with any of the hotel valet services (about $15/day + tip). We did this two days in a row and walked through the lobby of the hotel, right to the beach!

Twice we went over to the Renaissance Private Island to enjoy the quiet adult beaches there too and see the flamingoes! I have never seen a flamingo up close before, so it was really fun to be on a beach chair and have them running back and forth along the beach, right in front of me. The private island has lots of chairs, cabanas to rent, hammocks, water toys for rent, towels, bars and a restaurant. We spent a lot of time here 🙂

We don’t usually get to see any movies at home…no time, usually! So we headed over to The Cinemas for an afternoon showing of Black Panther. Tickets were $5.61 ya’ll. That’s for two tickets you guys!! And the medium popcorn and two large drinks were another $6! Movies are cheap in Aruba. I know it seems kind of silly to see a movie on vacation, but when you’ve been sitting in the sun for 4 days in a row, sometimes you want to take a break in an air conditioned room while drinking an ice cold diet coke and munching on some popcorn. WE REGRET NOTHING.

Renaissance Private Island

Flamingoes!! On the Renaissance Private Island.

 

Diet coke in my coconut!! Best thing ever!

Baby Beach!

Where we ate

Sooooo many great places!

Gianni’s Italian Restaurant–this was the first place I really wanted to visit after a reader told me about the Spaghetti Al Formaggio Parmigiano….basically spaghetti tossed together in a wheel of parmesan cheese. It’s ground breakingly delicious. Run, don’t walk to eat this. Also, don’t go parasailing immediately after stuffing your face with pasta. Do as we say, not as we do.

Le Petit Cafe–close to Palm Beach and all those hotels. We came for lunch and it was tasty! I ate a great big salad and it was delicious! Gordon had a fish sandwich and it was really good too. But these folks are known for cooking food on hot stones (like coldstone, but hot 😉 ) BUT they only do that at dinner time. So, we got normal food. Another reason to go back to Aruba.

Flying Fishbone–this came as a highly recommended restaurant from many of you! The views were amazing and so was the food! My only issue is how far away from Oranjestad it was. We had our Jeep, so it was a bit of a non-issue, but could see how people couldn’t make it here. Though, the restaurant staff does an amazing job at getting people cabs. At dessert, our server double checked if we needed her to call a taxi for us. They definitely look out for the customer.

Renaissance Aruba Resort Room Service…oh mama, its good! The chicken tenders and the chicken tenders salad were my favorites! Also, the american breakfast that showed up right at 9am on our last day hit the spot. #bacon Just give me room service and a robe. I’m not picky 😉

The Dutch Pancake House–we ate here for breakfast one day and then dinner another day. Tasty little dutch pancakes!! Also NUTELLA!

Casa Tua Pizzeria–really tasty salad and wood-fired  pizza around the corner from the Dutch Pancake House.

Atardi–this is a fancier, seafood beach restaurant found at theAruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. We ate the most delicious food here! Every course was phenomenal and there was not one thing that we did not like. It is also located right on the beach so the sunset views we had were so romantic. Be sure to order the Tuna Carpaccio, the Surf & Turf and the Peanut Butter & Chocolate Layers cake. Atardi is a great ‘special dinner’ spot (looked like lots of other celebrations were being had around us!) or if you just want really good food. They also knew it was our anniversary so we got the special treatment. Decorated table and chairs, plus a sparkler in our dessert!

 

Room service Breakfast from The Renaissance Resort & Casino
Helpful Links

So of course I couldn’t finish this post without a few quick links to help answer some of the questions I’ve been getting about the stuff I bought for Aruba. Truly, it’s a bunch of miscellaneous items that I have been loving! (Some affiliate links below!)

I bought some new sunscreen for our trip (in spf 50 thankyouverymuch) and were both shocked that neither of us got burned. Like at all! We’ve never had that experience before. We didn’t have kids with us to worry about so maybe we took a little extra time to apply it relatively frequently and that’s why we came home not sunkissed in the least?! I dunno. But we both were impressed with it. Be sure to get the SunBum lotion and not the spray.

Beachy, comfy shorts from Target, under $15! My new favorite white t-shirt, also from Target for under $10! I am wearing a ruffled sleeve white t-shirt in some of these photos as well from Splendid. SO comfy!

I mostly wore one-piece swimsuits from Cupshe (this one and this one) but one lazy day on the beach I wore this bikini top and these magical bikini bottoms (which made my butt look half decent and way more round than I ever thought it could be.)

I got a two pack of sunglasses from ASOS because I didn’t want to bring the one expensive pair I own.

I asked for book recommendations and eventually settled on The Magnolia Story which I finished on the flight there. Oops?!

I switched between walking in my $10 trusty Target flip flops and my chuck taylor’s (so comfy!). It did the trick 🙂 No sore feet for me.

I packed and wore my NY Yankees hat to keep the sun away and that it does. Hooray!

So there you have it! My very long post about Aruba!! If you have any other recommendations to add to my list, do let me know! Have a great day, friends! xo

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Filed Under: Destination Guides, Travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna says

    March 30, 2018 at 9:13 am

    Absolutely STUNNING pictures. I am a long time reader and could not be happier for your and Gordon to have celebrated your 10th anniversary in Aruba. I have been wanting to go for years. You may have sealed the deal. Happy Anniversary. You of all people DESERVED THIS VACATION more than most. You sure have done so much all on your own to support Gordon’s career. I admire your strength.

    Happy Easter!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      March 30, 2018 at 9:27 am

      Thanks so much for your comment, Donna! You are the sweetest! xo

      Reply
  2. Dominique Brooks says

    April 1, 2018 at 6:35 am

    Congratulations on your anniversary! I had to comment (I don’t comment much) because I love Aruba (went in December 2014). Your pictures brought back so many memories! It’ such a beautiful, peaceful place!

    I am glad you had a wonderful time!

    Happy Easter!

    Dominique

    Reply
  3. Laura says

    April 3, 2018 at 8:08 am

    I love this post! I just messaged my husband to tell him Aruba moved up on our vacation list! Thank you so much for sharing the photos and details.

    Reply
    • dahlia says

      May 22, 2019 at 3:49 am

      I have been going to aruba for 25 years i even bought a house there. As a tourist it looks great. However aruba has changed and not for the better. Lets be honest and not be naive. I have made many arubian friends. They hate the changes. Over building….too many roundabout roads. I even witnessed a huge fight for 10 americans in the ritz carlton. No security. Many areas are now dangerous. So many other negative things people should know before spending tons of money. Nice beaches yes. Be aware .

      Reply
  4. Karin Nappi says

    April 3, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    Great post! My husband and I just got back last week from celebrating our 30th anniversary! We LOVED Aruba. We stayed at the Renaissance family hotel and it was fantastic. We also rented a car and explored the island including the California Lighthouse, did a CRAZY fun ATV Tour, and freestyles the rest of the week with Flamingo Island, lots of eating and drinking. We want to go back for 2 weeks next year with our adult kids. The island was safe and we did not cross a single unhappy person the entire trip!! Can’t wait to go back!!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      April 5, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      I know, right?! Everyone is happy in Aruba!

      Reply
  5. Heather Haight says

    April 3, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Thank you for all the pics & info. We are heading there April 26, 2018 with my wife did our honey moon. I’m super excited. The pics were amazing !!

    Reply
  6. Jeanine says

    April 4, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    Looks lovely! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  7. Michele Schneider says

    April 6, 2018 at 12:14 am

    I am SO happy I stumbled upon this write up!! We are heading to Aruba on April 30, 2018 – me, my hubby, and our kids (ages 9 & 11). We’re staying in the Renaissance suites. This will be our first time to Aruba! You mentioned the clear water of Palm & Eagle beaches….how does the Renaissance private island beach measure up? I’m mainly curious about how the water clarity compares to other beaches such as Palm/Eagle/Baby. Also, is the bottom sandy enough to swim barefoot or is it rocky and we’ll need to wear water shoes while swimming? I have found lots of reviews for the other beaches, but I haven’t really found any good descriptions or comparisons for the water clarity at the Renaissance beach. So any feedback you could give would be SO much appreciated!!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      April 6, 2018 at 7:27 am

      I went in the water on Flamingo beach (adult only) and it was a little rocky, but no one had water shoes on. I never went in the water on the family beach side. It was extra windy when we were there, so the waves were a little bigger than normal which I think contributed to the water not seeming to be AS clear as Eagle Beach. But it was still really lovely and relaxing! We had a great time there!

      Reply
      • Michele Schneider says

        April 7, 2018 at 4:04 pm

        Thank you for the helpful info! I’m gonna give your SunBum sunscreen recommendation a try too!

        Reply
  8. Kathleen Turner says

    June 18, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    Well now I have to plan a trip to Aruba! Thanks for sharing your amazing trip!

    Reply
  9. Susan Olthof says

    June 18, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    I read this right after you went and reread it tonight. It SO makes me want to schedule a week there! Sounds so wonderful! And you have so many good tips!

    Reply
  10. Val Skallet says

    June 18, 2018 at 7:18 pm

    Flamingos…enough said!

    Reply
  11. Kelly says

    June 19, 2018 at 4:38 am

    Great shots!

    Reply
  12. Kim Henrichs says

    June 19, 2018 at 5:05 am

    Aruba was one of the first islands that I visited and I loved it so much. I really want to go back and see the flamingos!!!!

    Reply
  13. Jen says

    June 19, 2018 at 5:20 am

    My Husband and I honeymooned in Aruba, and it was just magical! Reading your post took me right back to “One Happy Island”! Congratulations on 10 years together 🙂

    Reply
  14. Ashley says

    June 19, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    This post makes me want to go to Aruba so badly!! Looks beautiful.

    Reply
  15. Kim says

    July 11, 2018 at 5:44 pm

    Aruba is the best❣️ I would recommend staying at Renaissance to everyone. I am going back again in a few months and I am so excited. Thank you for sharing your vacation with us and I am so happy you had a great Anniversary! Here’s to many more 🥂🍾🎉🌴

    Reply
  16. Shelli Bender says

    July 12, 2018 at 12:42 pm

    Although sadly I am not able to go out in the sun such as arbula would give me; I very much enjoyed your pictures and can create my own dream from them! Thank you for that!
    I think my favorite was your picture with the flamingos! I had no idea they are such tall birds, and obviously not scared of the human on their beaches *laughs* I hope you can return again! and continue sharing pictures.

    Reply
  17. Cheri Ditsch says

    July 12, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    Three kids and you look amazing! So glad you had a great trip; looks like a wonderful and relaxing place to go!

    Reply
  18. Stacy says

    September 15, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    I have always wanted to travel here! Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
  19. TRACY WRASPIR says

    September 15, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    Beautiful pictures!! I think I just found my next vacation destination!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  20. Amanda Anderson says

    September 16, 2018 at 2:28 am

    Thanks for all of the information for Aruba travel. It looks amazing!

    Reply
  21. Alisha S says

    September 16, 2018 at 4:31 am

    Your trip looked like so much fun! I would love to visit Aruba someday. I will definitely check out your post of places to eat and things to do. Thanks

    Reply
  22. Mary Beth Mancini says

    September 16, 2018 at 5:34 am

    Love Aruba! Looks fabulous!

    Reply
  23. Gail Johansen says

    September 16, 2018 at 7:29 am

    Great memories! I went to Aruba many years ago with my company. Was able to bring m6 mother and four year old son at the time. We loved our hotel’s private island!

    Reply
  24. Jeanne Hill says

    September 16, 2018 at 8:10 am

    This looks like an amazing trip! One of my favorite things about traveling is trying the different foods and restaurants:)

    Reply
  25. Danielle Sanchez says

    September 16, 2018 at 11:14 am

    These photos are stunning!! I couldn’t imagine a vacation without my little one and this looks so enticing! Congratulations on your anniversary 💜💜

    Reply
  26. Kristy F says

    September 16, 2018 at 11:54 am

    Gah, I have always wanted to go here. Having seeing these gorgeous pictures, I want to go even more.

    Reply
  27. Deb Wacker says

    September 17, 2018 at 6:45 am

    Aruba has been on my bucket list for a long time. These pics make me want to go even more. I really appreciate all of your tips.

    Reply
  28. Katie Phillips says

    September 17, 2018 at 8:55 am

    It has always been a dream on mine to visit Aruba with my husband. My parents had their honeymoon there and always raved about it’s beauty. Thanks for the beautiful pictures to swoon over. Love your blog!

    Reply
  29. Becky says

    September 17, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    I love your Aruba post. It helped my husband and me to decide to go to Aruba for our 35th wedding anniversary. Thank you!

    Reply
  30. Megan Bramos says

    September 17, 2018 at 5:53 pm

    Your pictures are stunning and have my wheels turning for an Anniversary getaway in the future! I’m sure it was such a wonderful way to reconnect and relax. Love the blog!

    Reply
  31. Kim Henrichs says

    September 18, 2018 at 4:30 am

    I loved Aruba!! Dying to go back though and see the flamingos!!!

    Reply
  32. Willerd Sánchez says

    December 20, 2018 at 7:34 am

    I’m glad to know that there are people who enjoy Aruba as much as I do. When I go with my family, for the months of August or September, we stay in a very comfortable apartment that I bought with my retirement at Harbor House (www.harbourhousearuba.com), excellent place, highly recommended. Since I have memory I always wanted to dive and see the wonders of the sea nearby, when I went to the Island for the first time I was able to achieve that dream! Truly, Aruba is a fantastic place

    Reply
  33. Sally Fetch says

    March 13, 2019 at 1:03 am

    You’re so nice to share this article. I plan to travel recently and Aruba is good place maybe I can go

    Reply
  34. Amanda D says

    June 13, 2019 at 8:35 am

    Great post! Heading to the same hotel in July for a girls trip. Wondering if you ate at any restaurants in the resort (since we are doing an all inclusive). If so, any tips?

    Reply
  35. Alex says

    June 19, 2019 at 11:58 am

    One of the things that I love about Aruba is its gastronomic diversity; Since I moved to Harbour House Aruba (www.harbourhousearuba.com), seen Palm Beach, as in Le Petit Cafe every day hahaha

    Reply
  36. Alex says

    July 8, 2019 at 7:46 pm

    Excellent post, quite entertaining!

    Definitely Aruba is one of the best paradisiac destination in the whole world, its natural beauty is incredible.

    After visiting the “happy island” year after year, I decided to buy an apartment in Azure Beach Residences (www.azure.aruba.com), to give my children a future in this beautiful island, I think it was a good decision.

    Reply
  37. Azizi Rivera says

    July 26, 2019 at 11:46 pm

    Awesome place Aruba!!!!

    Reply
  38. Alena says

    October 23, 2019 at 2:43 am

    My husband and I went to Aruba with couple of our friends in March 2019 to celebrate our 15th and theirs 5th wedding anniversary. And it all happened because of your post about Aruba. It was excellent! So Thank you, Thank you!

    Reply
  39. Marylou Brum says

    October 23, 2019 at 2:44 am

    This is such a great post. Aruba is one of my favorite places on earth. Looking through all the pictures made me realize how much I miss spending time there. You seem to have had such a great time, love all the details and places you had experienced. But most of all the happiness and love you shared with each other in celebrating your anniversary. Thank you for sharing and making me want to go back real soon.

    Reply

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